Should have stayed home....

It's Memorial Day weekend...woohoo!

Bought some food, a collapsible cooler, ice, and packed the KIA for a Saturday filled w/ photos and day camping.....but maybe I should have stayed home and had the house to myself.

Headed out at 10:30 am, w/ a plan. I wanted to head to a little ghost town (sorta) called Guffey.

My dad's fault.... he showed me photos he took there.

 This is in Florissant on SR 1

Got lost again, None of the roads are marked, and I had directions... but I tossed them out the window. (just kidding, I was speaking metaphorically)  I had a GPS but it had no cord, and the battery died 5 minutes after I got my area to show.
Ok, plan B...... ask for directions, and buy a map. Also scored puppy some homemade peanut butter dog treats...after he had "hoarked" in the back seat. EWW!

Found Guffey after an hour or so.... SO COOL!!!!!!!!

 This was like the store in that movie "Needful Things"

Weird enough???

As I was headed to my family's campsite at Mueller State Park, I saw him...

I decided to head thru Eleven Mile State Park/reservoir as a shortcut.. BAD MOVE!

I got on dirt roads w/ deep ditches on each side, and once got into a part of the ditch... but I was lucky it was not too deep, and back on I got.

Dirt roads turned into damaged but paved roads. I had to swerve around potholes but I missed one... and wouldn't you know... It has a foreign object sticking out of it....

HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

GREAT!!!!

A Flat TIRE!

  .... which I know nothing about fixing or where anything useful is...

THANK YOU... I have a cell signal.... "Traci........ Can Tim come help me???"

While I was waiting for my family to rescue me..... lots of cars slowed, but never stopped.
 BUT... who's this? A pickup truck... w/ 4 Guys, 2 girls... They are Stopping!!!!!

THANK YOU GOD!

So, it seems that I pole-vaulted on a 6" copper pipe that was in the pot hole... and it wedged in 2-3" on the INSIDE of back passenger side tire.

Hubby's gonna have a cow!

The 4 guys got the jack from my truck, but took 20 mins to find the cranking parts, and then as it was on the jack, it rolled back off it........... almost onto where I was standing... Yes, I jumped out of the way.

20 mins later, and a million Thank You's to the men who helped me and the wife who made the men stop.... I was back to normal. But I still had to wait for Tim and Ron to get to where I was. 1 hour total time waiting, and a few attempts to tell them where I was.... I was never really sure where I was.

Got to Mueller State Park at 4pm, sick to my stomach, hungry, and exhausted, and chilled to the core.

I hung out, cooked steak for a sandwich, s'mores, and had a little bit of a Margarita to loosen me up.


Oh, finally.....my stupid dog decided to get medieval on our friends Mastiff puppy, teeth showed... Dang It Scamp!

What a long day!

Time to hang up my camera and cap this blog... for a while... its too risky for me to be doing this.

 I hope you enjoyed my adventures....for now.

The Roar of the Air Force Thunderbirds.....

 Today 1021 cadets of 2011 graduated from the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO. Following the ceremony is a 30-45 minute aerial performance by the U.S.A.F. Thunderbirds. a group of pilots flying F-16's.

 They did not disappoint as you can see. 

I took around 400 shots, these are the best.

Click on each to make larger......

Puppy, aka Whinoceros, was not impressed, and made an almost good attempt at escaping.

Yes.... I caught him.

Storm's a brewin...take cover....

That's for everyone else... but not me.

I, of course, love nature. I decide to head out.
Puppy stayed home today, wanted some "me" time for a change. Sorry Scamp.

Decided to try a road I pass a lot in Black Forest, CO called Mustang Rd. Sounds old west like, ya think?

It's a small little area of cross streets, nothing to get "lost" in. But it's got potential.

One area had both of these shots on one lot....

I want more...

Off to explore on Black Forest Rd.

These are across the street from each other... woohoo!!!

Feeling like a cowgirl...???

Look's like this windmill hasn't weathered as many storms.

Here's the storm that I mentioned, rolling in quickly.

Getting kinda scary, but that never stopped me before.. I find a little dead end dirt road called Old Ranch Rd.

Well..... Hello There!

Well, a short trip, but amazing results... join me on Saturday as I head to Mueller State Park on Rte 67.... Should be great!

Happy Memorial Day, remember our deployed troops, and those who served, and lost their lives for our freedom.

Roads? Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads...... ok, so maybe we do....

Weather outside was not looking so great, but when has that stopped me from getting lost....right?

Oh...... SCAMP..........heh heh

Took off w/ The Nikon for Falcon, CO. I have very good friends who live there, so If I got bored, I could give them a call to go play w/ their newest puppy, Sampson... a Mastiff. (did I spell that right?)

Went down some cool roads, like a roller coaster, and saw a lot of farms, and goats, and cows. MOO

Looked at Gas indicator....hmm, running a bit low... but I am in Dorothy's and Toto's land... nothing but farms everywhere. Shall I keep going, or play it safe and turn around.... I think we all know the answer to that....

"Calhan City Limits - Elevation 6891 ft - Population - not too many! "!!

Ok, so I am here in a remote lil area, ONE gas station (Thank Heavens!), ONE road, ONE Goofy antique shop that resembles all of Cape Cod, and tons of hole in the wall eatery's!

This is what stands near the previously mentioned goofy antique shop... these are all around, and could swallow Scamp whole in its beak. Its huge.

So.. now what, I saw the entire town in 2 minutes.... Where to now Scarecrow?

Back on Rte 24, and away from where I came. I see a cool Water tower.... That'll do!

"RAMAH"     .... (the tiger pet to Jasmine and Aladdin?)

What?  ;P

I turn down the road to get a closeup of this tower, and turns out this little area is 50% abandoned buildings... where did the township go???? Noone stays put anymore... but an entire community up and leaves?....weird.

Got some cool shots....

and lots of rusted antique vehicles all around the streets.

I liked this one the best....

Ok, so now its getting even colder, and Whinoceros is bugging me... time to return home... I've had enough.

Thanks for coming along today... see ya next weekend......We head to the mountains again.....

Way away.....

So I needed to escape a while... so I grabbed the pup, and the camera... swapped for the Kia... and took off for places unknown... to me anyways.

Looking pretty cloudy, a bit chilly too. That isn't enough to make me turn around.

2PM: Hit the road... got onto Rte 24, and made it to Wilkerson's Pass...

Long drive... but ahhhh so serene.
Got to Hartsel and looked for Buffalo, nada this trip. Last time we came here w/ our friends from Rhode Island there were Buffalo everywhere.

Fairplay... I found it. Not that it was difficult.
It's kinda crappy weather but the brief sun peeks through... won't be staying long me thinks.

South Park City

Recreated old town.

This attraction isn't open until Memorial Day, but I was able to capture this for you all by looking over the gate.

Drove down the side road to take these shots....

Sign...on top of the little local........

Hand Hotel.

Hmmmm Wonder what goes on in said hotel... how many singles....uh..nevermind. LOL

Cute little Country church next to S.P.City.

Starting to snow... so I head back.. and Whinoceros is now hopping like a bunny too.

BUT.. U-ey time to get these shots.......

All made from scrap metal... at some private property posted entryway... guess these enforce that request.

=}

Back home again in 4.5 hours.. and not too much gas used..... Cool.

See ya for my next adventure.

Fairplay? It's snowing, No Fair!

I had a hunch at 6am I better check the weather on my mobile web... hmmm cloudy in Colorado Springs... ok, how bout Fairplay? Snow... and more snow.

Great :( .... what about the weather channel..... 10-20" of snow and mixed stuff. ARGHHHH

Night night...I am sleepin' in!

I did nothin' today except get some grocery's and watch some TV. I am falling asleep.

What's that outside? DO I SEE THE SUN????? Come'n Whinoceros...a.k.a Scamp.....

I head back to get that Bison shot from the previous "short trip"... still no luck...
ok, so I find a side road..... Hmmm

well looky here:

This is promising!

Ok, time to see how lost I can get now.. I am off 83N, on CO RD 82 aka E.Lorraine Rd. now...

Do I need to pee?  not that bad......

This is Spring Valley Church

It's amazing how much history is in Colorado..
abandoned proof of Gold prospecting, exploration... and land claim staking.

Water? Not a drop to drink.

I drove a bit more until I saw the clouds rolling in, and Scamp's hopping from seat to seat, 

time to head home...

The road to nowhere?

Maybe next week we'll make it to Fairplay... Spring has to stay put sooner or later. 

   Night all!